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Hillies walk away to win over Rangers

Thursday, May, 01 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

HAVERHILL | Should Haverhill challenge for a conference title this spring, the Hillies will remember yesterday with glee.

Haverhill, now 6-3 overall and still a game behind Tewksbury in the MVC Small chase, managed just three hits but got plenty of pitching and a bit of help to knock off Methuen, 6-1.

"We're just not hitting, as a team we need to be better," said senior Sean Hayden, who fired a three-hit complete-game, striking out five to improve to 3-0. "We have to be better with runners on. Too many people in this league can beat you if you don't."

Hayden's only mistake came in the first when Jimmy Cote christened the new portable fence at Haverhill Stadium with a towering solo homer to left.

"Already, I don't like that fence," said the St. Anselm-bound Hayden, who would allow only a double to the next hitter, Jhiomar Veras, and a fifth-inning Eric Eldred single the rest of the way. "I had a little trouble early spotting my fastball, but once I got on top of that, the rest fell into place."

Ranger workhorse David Koerner, who had walked only 11 in 27<2/3> innings previously, just couldn't locate the strike zone and paid for it, falling to 2-3 on the year.

Nine walks and three hit batters in six innings cost the Rangers dearly. Peter Byron drew a bases-loaded free pass to knot things in the third at 1-1. Bobby Shirling's RBI single in the fourth proved to be the game-winner.

Josh Chasse's two-run blooper to no-man's land in short-center helped break things open in a four-run fifth.

"Today was definitely a big one for us, but there's going to be a lot of big ones in this league," said Hayden, whose club hosts Chelmsford Friday night. "Tewksbury is a good team, but I think if we play the way we're capable of, it should be a good race."

The Redmen had a meeting with MVC Large-leading Central Catholic postponed yesterday due to wet field conditions.